Roger
Photos: Mike Eliason / SBCFD
On September 10, 2019, at approximately 1:13 P.M., a fatal traffic collision occurred on US 101 southbound just north of Las Varas Canyon Road. A 2007 Ford F350, driven by Garrett Staab of Tucson Arizona, was traveling US 101 northbound. Mr. Staab made a U-turn from the left hand turn lane of US 101 northbound onto US 101 southbound. A 2015 Toyota Tundra, driven by Austin Buist of San Luis Obispo California, was traveling on US 101 southbound in the #1 lane.
Mr. Staab made an unsafe turning movement when his Ford partially occupied the #1 lane of US 101 southbound, traveling directly in front of a Toyota Tundra. Mr. Buist tried to avoid a collision by turning his vehicle to the right. The front of the Toyota collided into the passenger side of the Ford between the #1 and #2 lanes of US 101 southbound. The vehicles came to rest approximately 20 feet off the roadway on the right shoulder of US 101 southbound. The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Santa Barbara County Fire Department, and American Medical Response ambulance company (AMR), responded to the collision scene. As a result of the collision, multiple parties were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, via AMR ambulance due to major to minor injuries.
One of the passengers succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased five days later at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. The collision remains under investigation at this time. Alcohol or drugs were not a factor in this collision. Victim information will be releasable through the Santa Barbara County Coroner’s office after next of kin have been notified.
Update by edhat staff
September 10, 2019
Five people were injured when two vehicles collided on Highway 101 near Las Varas Canyon Road on Tuesday afternoon.
Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to the scene west of Goleta at 1:47 p.m. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a white Ford F350 truck was making a left turn at an intersection when it was struck by a Toyota Tundra heading southbound on Highway 101. Both vehicles ended off the roadway in a ditch.
SB County Fire Department spokesperson Mike Eliason reported there were a total of five people involved, none of them required extrication from the vehicle. The male driver of the Ford suffered minor injuries but the male passenger suffered major injuries. The male driver of the Toyota suffered minor injuries, the female passenger suffered major injuries, and a male infant in a carseat sustained moderate injuries.
All victims of unknown ages were taken by three ambulances to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
CHP is investigating the cause of this accident.
Injury traffic accident…Highway 101 Southbound at Las Varas Canyon Road Major Injury Accident.
Two more patients on their way to Cottage.
Yikes, what a gnarly accident. It looks like one of the vehicles may have been moving cities with all the belongings scattered along the grass.
Need to remove access to cross the freeway like that! Only on and offramps!!
Look at that! Car (impact passenger cabin) design has come leaps and bounds.
Oh man, you’re right! That poor family! Well at least they’re all still alive and it wasn’t any worse than it was
Wow, 6 people are sure drivers never make mistakes or do stupid things. First of all he was not crossing the freeway, just two lanes, was in a dedicated turn lane and had a clear line of sight with no obstructions on an over a mile tangent. I rather doubt they will be building interchanges for every side road or property any time soon.
Oh, this is so sad. She was the baby’s mother, and the baby’s father was driving. The family has set up a fundraiser for the baby’s father here https://www.gofundme.com/f/inlovingmemoryofallysonbuist
Actually he made an unsafe u turn and cut off the other car and now the mother of his child is dead. It’s horrible and sad, could have been prevented, should never even have an option to do a u turn on the freeway!
SO says “alcohol or drugs” were not a factor in this collision. Google Mr. Staab. I hope a full drug test inducing THC test was done on him. How someone stone cold sober ends up causing a wreck like this is beyond me.
@tagdes so what do you think happened if he had a clear line of sight? How does someone cause a crash this horrific unless they’re sloshed or high?
Gotta be illegal to make a U-turn at this location, right? That is only a left turn location. No way to maintain the minimum 45 mph speed while doing the U-turn. This seems like a good case to charge the perp with manslaughter. I know a nurse that cared for the family in Cottage ICU and she was very much affected by what had happened to this family.
TAGDES – PITMIX is correct about the inability to make a U-turn there, illegal or not, and remain in the exit or entrance/merge lane. The exit lane essentially intersects the enter lane of the opposing traffic, meaning you would have to turn on a dime to stay within the lane during a U-turn. No way your average sedan, nevermind a long wheelbase truck, could make that U-turn safely.
Tagdes, There is not enough room at that road crossing for an F-350 to make a U-turn without encroaching into the #1 lane. So that explains what happened. If U-turns are legal there, then Caltrans bears some liability for what happened. I bet if you look at Caltrans standards, this road crossing does not meet their criteria. Maybe that will help the family get some compensation for their tragedy.
The driver should have to pay the now single father child support until the baby is 18 for killing his mother.